8 Most In-Demand Skills in Portugal for 2025

Portugal is aiming for advancement in technology by adopting emerging technology under Portugal's National Digital Strategy, announced in December 2024. This strategy is set to improve digital efficiency nationwide, along with creating new roles for the job seekers in 2025. In Portugal, there is a growing demand for skilled professionals as there are 57,357 job vacancies across various sectors.

One of the main reasons for this is the aging population, as Portugal is one of the oldest countries in the EU, with a median age of 45.8 years. Read ahead to know what in-demand skills you need to acquire to fill the gap in the workforce.

Work Culture in Portugal

Portugal’s work culture is based on maintaining a balance between productivity and personal well-being. Here is a closer look at some key aspects

1. Relaxed Yet Productive: The work culture in Portugal promotes efficiency in employees. At the same time, they get their leisure time.

2. Personal Connections: Social interactions are key in the workplace. Professionals build personal relationships before diving into business, so it’s a friendly and collaborative environment.

3. Flexible Working Hours: While the workweek is 40 hours, there is flexibility in how you manage your time so you can integrate better work and personal life.

In-Demand Skills in Portugal in 2025

By 2025 many sectors will be developed and among them the technology, green energy and cyber security sectors, where those persons with the relevant qualifications will be needed. This section focuses on the skills that employers are looking for in 2025.

1. Construction Skills

The construction sector in Portugal is facing a shortage of skilled workers, 90,000 to be exact. At the moment the industry is relying heavily on foreign workers, many of whom are not qualified. This is a great opportunity for you to get the right construction skills as the demand for qualified labor will only keep growing.

2. AI Skills

Portugal is moving towards AI adoption but there’s a big skill gap. As per experts, the demand for AI skills will grow by over 20% until 2026. It’s a field with huge career opportunities. A study says Portugal will retrain 1.3 million workers by 2030 and hire new talent to meet the growing demand in the AI sector and increase productivity.

3. Cloud Computing Skills

Cloud computing sector is growing in Portugal, but companies are struggling to find skilled professionals. Only 19% of companies find it easy to recruit or upskill workers with the right digital skills, well below the European average of 25%. 71% of Portuguese companies say a lack of skilled staff is impacting their business.

To fill this gap, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has launched the AWS re/Start cloud skills training program in Portugal, with free training and job opportunities for participants. Part of Amazon’s global goal to train 29 million people by 2025.

4. Cybersecurity Skills

Portugal’s cybersecurity job market will grow 7.7% per year from 2024 to 2029 and will create over 5,000 new jobs. Security architects and cloud security specialists are the top in demand, so cybersecurity skills are key to the digital future of the country.

As digitalization grows, the risk of cyber attacks is growing in Portugal. For example, by the end of 2024 there were 738,700 data breaches reported which shows that the threat is getting bigger. To fully take advantage of digital growth and protect sensitive information, the need for cybersecurity professionals is higher than ever.

5. Teaching Skills

Portugal needs more teachers, with over 30,000 skilled staff by 2030. The teaching workforce is aging and there is an increased number of retirements over the past 10 years. So schools are struggling to fill the staff shortage, and Fenprof estimates that nearly 200,000 students will start the school year without a teacher for at least one subject.

6. Renewable & Green Energy Skills

Portugal is committed to being carbon neutral by 2050 and could potentially reach that target by 2045. As one of the European Union’s leading countries in climate action, there is a growing focus on green energy and sustainability.

Since 2023, Portugal has seen a huge increase in demand for green skills, with 71.3% of jobs requiring at least one green skill. And in the future, CEDEFOP predicts that 26% of job vacancies will require expertise in areas like agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.

7. Programming Skills

Currently, Portugal has already made a significant advance towards becoming a technology powerhouse, with the rate of expansion expected to be 15% in 2025. This has led to the increasing demand for programming skills to tackle real-life challenges, and some of the well-paying positions in this line of work include Data Scientists. Python is still the most in-demand language, followed by JavaScript and more lately, TypeScript. Fluency in these languages allows to get a job in one of the rapidly developing fields of Portugal. 

8. Tourism and Hospitality Skills

Tourism is a big driver of Portugal’s economy, the sector will generate around €27 billion by the end of 2024 and 9% growth in 2025. Looking further ahead, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) predicts that by 2034 the sector will contribute €66.5 billion to the economy, 22.4% of the country’s GDP. This will create many job opportunities, and tourism and hospitality will employ 1.4 million people in Portugal. So tourism and hospitality skills are very valuable for those who want to enter a growing and dynamic industry.

How to Upskill for the Job Market in Portugal

To upskill for the job market in Portugal, take relevant training courses, and gain practical experience through internships or part-time jobs. Improve your soft skills like communication and problem-solving and expand your professional network to be more relevant in the job sector.

Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional (IEFP): The IEFP is the national public employment and vocational training institute, they offer a wide range of professional training courses according to the labor market needs. They have courses in areas like information technology, healthcare and tourism.

Cooperativa de Ensino Profissional do Centro Juvenil de Campanhã: Cooperativa de Ensino Profissional do Centro Juvenil de Campanhã offers professional courses to prepare students for the job market. They have courses in Multimedia Technology, Tourism, Communications, IT & Management and foundational training in areas like Computer Operations.

Ourém Vocational School: Ourém's Vocational School, part of the INSIGNARE association, offers a wide range of vocational courses to provide students with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. They have programs in management, information technology (IT), multimedia, metalworking, industrial maintenance, Mechatronics, and electronics.

Conclusion

In short, the job market in Portugal is changing, with a growing demand for skills in technology, green energy, cybersecurity and education. As Portugal is undergoing digital transformation and sustainability, upskilling in these areas will be key to career success and contribute to Portugal’s growth and competitiveness.

Edstellar offers training to bridge the skill gaps in Portugal’s industries and Skill Matrix helps to identify the gaps and guide the upskilling. By training the employees, the companies will be more competitive and support long-term growth in Portugal’s changing economy.